Roger

Thanks for trying to sort this out.  I wasn't so much worried by the
unreasonable timescale of the SLC's demand for data (par for the course)
as by the apparent amateurishness of the request.

Their request asks that each programme-row returned contains the 'Course
Description'.  This is highly ambiguous and does not ensure that they will
get rows returned that will allow them to construct a real database.
Certainly, programme >title< is not enough - eg. we have 7 different
programmes with the title 'Economics', each representing different
combinations of level of study and owning department, and with various
total durations.  To construct a useful database (that you can relate a
given student to) you must either have all of the elements of our data
'key', or our unique internal programme code. In the report I've knocked
up, I've included all the information that they should need, but I'm
concerned that, in the absence of guidance, they will get very variable
versions of 'course description', some of which may be useless to them.
So if SLC were to sent out an addendum, it might usefully contain more
specific guidance as to what programme identifiers they are after.

Or maybe SLC have anticipated all this in a cunning way?

Owen

On Wed, 25 Nov 1998 11:21:46 +0000 () Roger Clark wrote:

> From: Roger Clark <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 11:21:46 +0000 ()
> Subject: SLC request for term start dates
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Cc: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> As far as I was concerned, the plan was for SLC to collect term dates,
> probably for an early spring deadline, with say six to eight weeks
notice
> given.  For the term date information to be demanded at a weeks notice
is
> nonsense, although there is no reason why we should not provide the
other
> basic information needed for them to set up their institution details.
>
> I have spoken to Stephen White at SLC (who is organising this).  He says
> that the DfEE have told SLC that they have to have the database set up
by
> 10 January. I have now also spoken to Colin Ward (SLC Chief Executive).
>
> There appears to be a misunderstanding somewhere down the line,
> since the decision the Design Group took was to set up the database of
> institutional details by 10 January, and to ask for the term dates by
> an early spring deadline.
>
> There is a meeting of the Student Support Design Group on Friday.  The
> agenda includes a paper by the SLC "Proposal for University/College
> Database" etc, and this proposes the same timing as I had understood.
So
> I will press that SLC send out a sharpish addendum to the effect that
they
> want institutional details now, but term dates later.
>
> Part of the background to this is that the DfEE is not the all-knowing
> "big brother" you might think, and does not have a list of all the
> institutions (both HE and FE) which offer HE courses, especially FE
> colleges. The term start date information is needed if the SLC is to get
> cheques and/or BACS payments to students at the beginning of each term.
>
>
>
> Roger Clark
> Academic Registrar
> University of Reading
>
> On Wed, 25 Nov 1998, M Collett wrote:
>
> > Colleagues,
> > When I told my VC about the latest SLC demand, he fired off an email
> > to CVCP, and suggested I urge others to ask their VC or Registrar to
> > do the same.
> > Moira
> >
> > On Tue, 24 Nov 1998 14:51:47 -0000 Ivor Crewe <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Dear Diana,
> > >
> > > I have received a message from my Academic Registrar, who is
> > >complaining,  quite rightly, about the demand from the Student Loans
> > >Company for a large amount of inadequately specified information
> > >within the next  fortnight without any prior notice. What is
> > >particularly objectionable it is attempting to use the DfEE to bully
> > >universities into bearing the cost of its mismanagement.
> > >
> > > I imagine that quite a number of my fellow VCs will complain. Could
the
> > > CVCP act on our behalf and lobby vigorously for (a) properly
specified
> > > requirements and (b) a much longer period for completion?
> > >
> > > Ivor	
> > >
> >
> >
> > ***********************
> > Moira Collett
> > Academic Registrar
> > University of Essex
> > Tel:  01206 872977
> > Fax: 01206 872794
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>


_____
Owen Richards
Senior Assistant Registrar (Registry Systems)
Sussex University
Tel: 01273 877019
Email: [log in to unmask]





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